Sit Properly

Happy Ekadasi! I’ve got another song for you.

This one come from a French released LP from the mid to late 70′s called Temple Radha Krishna.

Sounds a lot like Radha Krishna Temple, the George Harrison – produced album on Apple Records, doesn’t it? There’s even a picture of George Harrison on the back! Haha!

It seems like devotees in the 70′s really tried to ride the “George Harrison is a devotee” thing. In my opinion it is just sort of cheap and takes away from the work that he did and the work that these devotees did on this particular album.

This is one of my favorite devotee-made LPs. It was released on Parampara Records and all of the wording is in French. The first cut is by Srila Prabhupada, the rest are by Acutyananda Swami and Bavananda, with one cut by Yogesvara and a minute or so of devotee chanting japa.

The whole album is well recorded and fun, with some quirky takes on traditional sons. I’m not sure if the Srila Prabhupada cut was made just for this album or if it was borrowed from something else to fill space.

This particular song is Kesava Kali Mala by Acyutananda Swami. It’s pretty fast paced, probably fast than I’ve heard it done before.

For those who don’t know, I’m a collector of early ISKCON records. I’ve got quite a lot. More than this:

There are very few that I don’t have. There’s only two that I know of that are missing, though I’m assuming that there are some that I don’t yet know about. I’ve recorded most of these records to MP3 and I’m sharing them on Soulseek under the “Classic ISKCON Records” folder.

I was going to make a website for all of these records, but never got around to it. I’ll probably do it someday. It’s strange that nobody collects these things. They’re great and almost none of them have been officially released by the BBT or Archives, etc. That’s a real shame.

Well, without further adieu, here is Acyutananda Swami singing Kesava Kali Mala!

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Well it looks like another Ekadasi is upon us and it’s time to post another song.

This paksa [lunar "week"], the song is a kirtana taken from the 108 CD Holyname. That’s not the first place it ever appeared, but it’s the first place I heard it. Oddly enough, I can’t find it on any officially released ISKCON record or cassette. I’m sure it was officially released, but I can’t find it.

It’s by Yamuna Devi, the same devotee who did the cookbooks. In this, she sounds like Grace Slick, from Jefferson Airplane. I actually thought it was at first. The 108 CD gave no mention to the song at all, so I had no idea what to think. But one day, I was at Visok’s apartment at New Vrndavana and he was playing this song. But he didn’t get it from the 108 CD, he had it in his huge collection of devotional music. He told me that it was Yamuna. Having listened to some of her other kirtanas, as well as her Govindam Prayers, I am pretty sure this is her.

Though this kirtana is a rocking musical event, there is a wonderful beauty to it. As we say, you can really feel the bhakti [devotion] here. It’s dripping with it.

So sit back, grab some buckwheat cakes, tapioca puffy things and a plate of Gaurangas, have a good listen and enjoy! Haribol!

Click to download.

These are two of my favorite verses from the gita. I’ve dug them from the first day I heard them. And then Yoda goes and says something similar in one of the Star Wars prequels. I doubt that Lucas was reading the Gita (if he were, maybe the movies would have been better – or, better yet, not made at all), but these are universal truths, so he probably just got lucky.

Anyway -

Chapter 2, Verses 62 & 63

While contemplating the objects of the senses, a person develops attachment for them, and from such attachment lust develops, and from lust anger arises.
From anger, delusion arises, and from delusion bewilderment of memory. When memory is bewildered, intelligence is lost, and when intelligence is lost, one falls down again into the material pool.
-Srila Prabhupada

When one contemplates the sense objects, attachment for them is born. From attachment, desire is born; from desire, frustration; and from frustration, delusion. When one is deluded, memory is lost; with the loss of memory, the power of discrimination is destroyed; with the destruction of discrimination, one’s own self is lost.
-Tripurari Swami

By meditating on the objects of the senses, one develops attachment. Attachment gives rise to desire, which in turn leads to anger.

Anger gives rise to delusion, and from delusion comes loss of memory, forgetting the instructions of sastra. Loss of memory destroys intelligence, and when the intelligence is destroyed, everything is lost and one again falls down into the material pool.
-Narayana Maharaja

For a person dwelling
    on the objects of the senses,
    attachment to them develops;
From attachment,
    selfish desire develops;
    from desire, anger develops.

From anger comes
    bewilderment;
    from bewilderment,
    disturbed memory;
From disturbed memory,
    loss of discernment;
    from loss of discernment
    one becomes lost.
-Garuda dasa

Just a quick note, the Tripurari Swami version combines both verses into one. All of the others keep them separate. One thing that I will point out is that Prabhupada’s original Gita feels like it’s lacking some commas and semicolons. I particularly like how Tripurari Swami punctuated these verses. I’m very used to the MLA style manual. I don’t think that was around in the 60′s. If it was, it definitely has changed since then.

Incidentally, the revised version of Prabhupada’s Gita adds a semicolon, but other than that, is punctuated similarly. The other difference is that it cuts a pronoun (“them”) and replaces it with “sense objects” (which come right after the new semicolon). I’m not going to get into any sort of analysis between the original and changed versions of Prabhupada’s Gita. There are many other websites that do that. I’m simply presenting four different translations.

So my thoughts on this? The thing that sticks out most for me is Narayana Maharaja’s inclusion of the phrase “forgetting the instructions of sastra.” While certainly true, there’s no mention of that, even in his word for word translation. Also, Tripurari Swami translates the sanskrit word “buddhi” as “discrimination.” Prabhupada and Narayana Maharaja both translate it as “intelligence.” Garuda dasa calls it “discernment,” which is sort of a compromise between “intelligence” and “discrimination.”

I’ve seen other Gitas translate “buddhi” as “wisdom.” There are subtle differences between these definitions, but the point remains the same: when memory is lost or bewildered, discrimination and intelligence and wisdom are lost. That bit has always troubled me since I have a VERY bad memory. But this memory loss (or bewilderment) comes from anger.

However, in this case, Narayana Maharaja’s Gita has amazingly excellent purports to explain this memory loss thing. Tripurari Swami’s purport very much mirrors Narayana Maharaja’s, but is well worth reading too. Prabhupada’s purport seems to take a more general approach to this verse and he doesn’t touch on anger. But reading it after reading the other two, you get a greater understanding of what it is to remember in Krishna consciousness. And that’s really the important thing here.

I didn’t want to get into the purports, but there I go!

And now I go off to bed!

*edit – quick note. I had some pretty bad typos and other gaffs in the first version of this post. They were pointed out to me and I changed them as much as I could. If there are others, please forgive my typographic ways and point them out to me. Thanks!

This post is one, mostly, for devotees (Hare Krishnas). If you’re interested in different translations and different perceptions of things from within a very specific spiritual belief system, you might find this interesting too. Everyone else, well, feel free to read it anyway. If you’re not careful, you might just learn something.

I recently picked up Garuda dasa’s new translation of the Bhagavad-gita. I’m impressed with it. He keeps it poetic without making it sound hokey all rhymey like so many other versions. His version has no commentary, but really, the whole point of it is the translation and how it’s laid out.

For awhile now, I’ve been interested in different translations of the gita. I’m not really concerned about those done by scholars, so much as those done by devotees (who are also scholars). So I’ve selected four from my collection and I’m going to do a bit of comparison.

The four are: Bhagavad-gita: As It Is by Srila Prabhupada, Bhagavad-gita: It’s Feeling and Philosophy by Tripurari Swami, Srimad Bhagavad-gita by Narayana Maharaja and lastly Bhagavad-gita: The Beloved Lord’s Secret Love Song (which, in my humble opinion, is a really bad title – but really, the only drawback that it has).

First, I’d like to comment about something many devotees have complained about. Many are upset that Srila Prabhupada’s disciples (and even godbrothers) have released their own translations and versions of Bhagavad-gita, even though Srila Prabhupada’s is definitive. It’s a good argument, I agree. It’s one that I personally gave when I heard that Tripurari Swami was writing his own version of the Gita. However, even though Srila Prabhupada’s is definitive does that mean that nobody should ever even give a class on the Bhagavad-gita? Afterall, why not simply read from Prabhupada’s Gita and be done with it?

Of course, that’s a silly argument. Bhagavad-gita commentaries have a rich history in our tradition. You’d be hard pressed to find an acarya in our lineage who hasn’t produced his own Gita.

So anyway, here, for whatever reason, is a comparison between four Gitas. I’ll be using five different commonly known verses, copying them exactly as they are presented in their books.

Chapter 2, Verse 13

As the embodied soul continually passes, in this body, from boyhood to youth to old age, the soul similarly passes into another body at death. The self-realized soul is not bewildered by such a change.
-Srila Prabhupada

Just as the embodied soul experiences changes of body, such as childhood, adulthood, and old age, so similarly it will acquire another body after death. Wise persons are not deluded about this.
-Tripurari Swami

Just as the embodied atma passes from boyhood to youth to old age, similarly, after death, he passes into another body. An intelligent person is not bewildered by the birth and death of the body.
-Narayana Maharaja

Just as the embodied
    while in this body
    passes through childhood,
    youth, and old age,
So also the embodied
    attains another body -
    the wise person
    is not bewildered by this.
-Garuda dasa

Chapter 4, Verse 7

Whenever and wherever there is a decline in religious practice, O descendant of Bharata, and a predominant rise of irreligion – at that time I descend Myself.
-Srila Prabhupada

Whenever, O descendant of Bharata, dharma is diminished and unrighteousness is on the rise, at that time I myself manifest.
-Tripurari Swami

O Bharata! Whenever there is a decline of dharma and an increase in adharma, at that time I manifest My eternally perfect form in this mundane world.
-Narayana Maharaja

Indeed, whenever there is
    a decline of dharma,
    O Bharata,
And an emerging
    of what opposed dharma -
    at that time I send forth my Self.
-Garuda dasa

Chapter 5, verse 18

The humble sage, by virtue of true knowledge, sees with equal vision a learned and gentle brahmana, a cow, an elephant, a dog and a dog-eater [outcaste].
-Srila Prabhupada

The wise see equally a brahmana endowed with learning and culture, a cow, an elephant, and even a dog or a dog-eater.
-Tripurari Swami

The wise look with equal vision upon a gentle and learned brahmana, a cow, an elephant, a dog and a candala.
-Narayana Maharaja

In a Brahmin endowed with
    learning and gentle conduct,
    in a cow, in an elephant,
Even in a dog and
    in one who cooks dog -
    wise ones see the same [Supreme].
-Garuda dasa

Chapter 8, verse 5

And whoever, at the time of death, quits his body, remember Me alone, at once attains My nature. Of this there is no doubt.
-Srila Prabhupada

At the time of death, a person who relinquishes his body, remembering me alone, attains my nature. Of this there is no doubt.
-Tripurari Swami

Whoever, at the time of death, leaves his body while remembering Me alone surely attains My nature. Of this there is no doubt.
-Narayana Maharaja

And at the time of one's end,
    remembering me alone
    while giving up the body -
One who thus goes forth,
    goes to my state of being;
    about this there is no doubt.
-Garuda dasa

Chapter 9, Verse 34

Engage your mind always in thinking of Me, offer obeisances and worship Me. Being completely absorbed in Me, surely you will come to Me.
-Srila Prabhupada

Fix your mind on me. Be my devotee! Sacrifice for me. Offer obeisance unto me. Absorbed thus in me alone, you shall come to me.
-Tripurari Swami

Always absorb your mind in Me, become My bhakta, worship Me and offer obeisances unto Me. In this way, with mind and body fully surrendered in My service, you will certainly achieve Me.
- Narayana Maharaja

Be mindful of me
    with love offered to me;
    sacrificing for me,
    act out of reverence for me.
Surely you shall
    come to me,
    thus having absorbed
    your self in yoga with
    me as the supreme goal.
-Garuda dasa

Chapter 18, Verse 66

Abandon all varieties of religion and just surrender unto Me. I shall deliver you from all sinful reaction. Do not fear.
-Srila Prabhupada

Forgoing all religious injunctions, take exclusive refuge in me. I shall deliver you from all sinful reactions. Do not fear.
-Tripurari Swami

Completely abandoning all bodily and mental dharma, such as varna and asrama, fully surrender to Me alone. I shall liberate you from all reactions to your sins. Do no grieve.
-Narayana Maharaja

Completely relinquishing
    all forms of dharma,
    come to me
    as your only shelter.
I shall grant you
    freedom from
    all misfortune -
    do not despair!
-Garuda dasa

Well there you go. Four Gitas, four authors, four versions. All of them written by practitioners of Gaudia Vaisnavism.

Now, personally, I prefer Srila Prabhupada’s edition (incidentally, I used his original translation from 1972, not the “revised and expanded” version). I really appreciate Tripurari Swami’s purports. Narayana Maharaja’s has some wonderful aspects to it as well. Garuda dasa’s interpretation is fascinating to me. It tries to preserve, as best as possible, the poetic (meaning the meter and the formatting) nature of the Gita. The other versions translate it as if it were prose. There’s nothing wrong with that, of course. The Gita is often translated for the masses. The masses generally don’t do poetry, so it’s a wise move on the parts of Prabhupada, Tripurari Swami and Narayana Maharaja to use prose. But it really is wonderful to see it worded and arranged poetically.

Of course, it must be said that none of these versions would even exist if it weren’t for the work of Srila Prabhupada. He translated his Bhagavad-gita long before the others. The other versions are offerings to Srila Prabhupada, all mentioning him by name.

Any thoughts?